Westside : BETTER BENEFITS

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. in Santa Monica has joined other entertainment companies in offering benefits to the live-in partners of gay employees, company officials announced this week.

Same-sex domestic partners of employees will be eligible for health care benefits beginning Feb. 1, said MGM spokeswoman Anne Corley.

The move comes after some of the 800 workers at MGM and its subsidiaries endorsed the expanded coverage in meetings to review insurance policies last year, she said.

MGM subsidiaries include United Artists Pictures, MGM Worldwide Television and MGM/UA Home Entertainment.